In a remarkable allegation against the central investigating agencies, Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee claimed that the probe bodies inflict extreme physical torture on suspects to extract confessions during their interrogation sessions.

Lashing out at the BJP for allegedly manipulating central agencies and the Enforcement Directorate for raiding the residence of former food and supplies minister Jyotipriya Mullick in connection with an alleged ration distribution corruption case, Banerjee also threatened to lodge FIRs against both the party and the probe agency in the event the Mullick's health deteriorates.

“You think that they (the agencies) only carry out mental torture and no physical torture is involved? They won’t allow you inside (the interrogation chambers). Ask me. I will tell you that they target specific parts of the body, the private parts, to extract names of people they want to hear. Find out the details from your sources or ask me quietly, I will give you details. That is the kind of torture and inhumane treatment currently being meted out,” Banerjee said while addressing reporters from her Kalighat residence on Thursday.

“Balu (Jyotipriya Mullick) is not keeping well. He has high blood sugar. If he dies (because of the raids), then we will have to lodge FIRs against the BJP as well as against the ED,” Banerjee remarked.

Referring to the effects of mental pressure suffered by her party leaders on account of the agency, Banerjee said: “Our former MP Sultan Ahmed failed to recover from the shock. Minutes after receiving a summons, he collapsed in his washroom and died. The wife of our Arjuna awardee MP Prasun Banerjee also died under similar circumstances. The families don’t say these things in public for fear of agency backlash, but I know that’s the truth.”

Following the recent arrest of businessman Bakibur Rahaman in connection with the ration scam, the ED launched a search operation from Thursday morning, a day after Bijaya Dashami, at nine locations in and around the city, including Mullick’s dual properties at BC 244 and 245 in Salt Lake and his ancestral house in Beniatola Lane in central Calcutta.

Rahaman, who allegedly played a key role in the public distribution system irregularities and corruption in distribution of food grains in the state during the Covid-19 lockdown, had allegedly maintained close links with the former food, now forest, minister of Bengal.

ED sources claim to have already unearthed properties worth Rs 100 crores owned by Rahaman, who started with a rice mill business in 2004 and then went on to own several hotels, resorts and bars besides owning over 1,600 cottahs of land and some nine flats including properties in Dubai. The agency claimed in court that investigations in Rahaman’s financial transactions and property holdings revealed suspicious money movement in excess of Rs 50 crore in at least six of the 20 companies he owned. The 53-hour search operations from his Kaikhali residence prior to his arrest last week resulted in confiscation of over a hundred government papers from his flat.

Besides landing up at Mullick’s places on Thursday, the ED also raided residences of the minister’s personal assistant, Amit Dey’s properties in the Nager Bazar area of Dum Dum in the northern extent of Calcutta. Dey reportedly owns three flats in the area. While two of the apartments in one of the complexes were found locked, the probe team managed to get inside the third apartment where Dey lives. Other teams of the agency were also have learnt to have reached the residences of Dey’s friend, Ronny Dey, a businessman in Beliaghata, the house of Mullick’s Chartered Accountant in Ranikuthi and the residence of Mullick’s yet another personal assistant in the Kadamtala area of Howrah. Searches at these places, which began in the morning, were still on at the time of the filing of this report.

Mamata Banerjee, meanwhile, alleged a political witch hunt against Trinamul leaders. “Show me one BJP leader whose house has been searched by the central agencies,” she demanded. Calling the BJP a party of “pathological liars'', Banerjee “The BJP is playing a dirty game to unleash political vendetta.”

Speaking of the recent CBI raids on the eve of the Pujas at senior Trinamul leader Firhad Hakim’s house in connection with civic body recruitment irregularity case, the party supremo, alleging harassment, said: “I was informed by his wife that the search team overturned containers of sugar and ghee in the kitchen. They opened wardrobes and took pictures of the sarees hanging in them and of the cosmetics kept in the dressing area.”

“As for my own family, the agency has demanded 42 year-old documents from Abhishek’s parents. Abhishek was born in 1987 and they want documents from 1981-82, years before he was even born,” the chief minister reported.

Expressing solidarity with Congress leader and Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot, Banerjee came down heavily on the ED for summoning Vibhav, the CM’s son, after elections were declared in that state.

“How many people would you arrest and throw in jail?” she asked. “Till there is no one left outside to fight you in the elections?” “You can keep at it and do your best,” Mamata said, “But even then you will lose.”